Tops picked sixth in preseason coaches’ poll
Published 2:30 pm Thursday, October 9, 2025
Western Kentucky junior forward Louie Semona (33) tries to hang onto the ball as senior forward Grant Newell (8) and sixth year forward Bryant Selebangue (0) defend during open practice at E. A. Diddle Arena on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
GRACE MCDOWELL / BOWLING GREEN DAILY NEWS
Western Kentucky’s men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Conference USA preseason coaches’ poll released by the conference Thursday.
Liberty was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2025-26 CUSA men’s regular-season championship, as voted by the league’s 12 head coaches. Kennesaw State’s Simeon Cottle was named the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year and headlines the conference’s 10 preseason all-conference honorees.
The Flames collected 11 first-place votes and finished with a total of 143 points. Liberty enters the new season after posting a 28-7 record in 2024-25, including a 13-5 mark in CUSA play. Head coach Ritchie McKay enters his 13th season at the helm after a CUSA regular season and tournament championship.
Kennesaw State claimed the remaining first-place vote and was picked to finish second by the coaches. NM State came in at No. 3 while MTSU and LA Tech placed No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. WKU claimed the six spot, followed by Jax State, UTEP, Sam Houston, FIU, Delaware and Missouri State.
Cottle returns to Kennesaw State for his senior season as the top returning scorer in Conference USA as he finished fourth in the league last year with a career-best 18.0 points per game. The standout guard was a second team all-conference member last season and is one of just two players from the first and second team to return. Cottle led CUSA in free-throw percentage (87.6) and recorded three 30-plus point games, including a 32-point effort in the Owls’ 80-77 quarterfinal win over NM State.
Seven of the league’s 12 teams are represented on the preseason all-conference team including Zach Cleveland, Kaden Metheny and Colin Porter, who helped guide the Flames to their first CUSA title. Kennesaw State joined Liberty with multiple honorees as Braedan Lue joined Cottle on the preseason all-league team. Lue was an all-freshman team member last year that averaged 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
LA Tech’s Kaden Cooper and MTSU’s Kamari Lands both return to their respective campuses and land on the preseason squad. Cooper averaged 9.3 points per game in 30 starts for the Bulldogs while leading his team in total rebounds (249) and rebounds per game (7.8). Lands dealt with injury in 2024-25 but made a huge impact in the 13 games he started. The senior guard averaged 8.1 points and concluded the regular season with three consecutive double figure efforts.
Delaware’s Cavan Reilly, Jax State’s Mostapha El Moutaouakkil and NM State’s Jemel Jones round out the 2025-26 CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team. Reilly made 32 starts for the Blue Hens, while averaging 12.4 points and finishing first in the CAA during conference play with 1.9 steals per game. El Moutaouakkil transfers to Jax State after leading Louisiana in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (5.2) last season. Jones arrives in Las Cruces after a breakout year at CSU Bakersfield where he averaged 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
The 2025-26 campaign tips off Nov. 3, and culminates in the 2026 Conference USA Basketball Championships from March 10-14 at Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. The men’s final is scheduled for March 14, to be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
2025-26 CUSA Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Liberty (11) – 143 pts
2. Kennesaw State (1) – 126 pts
3. NM State – 113 pts
4. MTSU – 103 pts
5. LA Tech – 82 pts
6. WKU – 79 pts
7. Jax State – 67 pts
8. UTEP – 66 pts
9. Sam Houston – 56 pts
10. FIU – 36 pts
11. Delaware – 35 pts
12. Missouri State – 30 pts
CUSA MBB Preseason Player of the Year
Simeon Cottle, G, Kennesaw State
CUSA MBB Preseason All-Conference Honorees
Cavan Reilly, G, Delaware
Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, G, Jax State
*Simeon Cottle, G, Kennesaw State
*Braedan Lue, F, Kennesaw State
*Zach Cleveland, F, Liberty
*Kaden Metheny, G, Liberty
*Colin Porter, G, Liberty
Kaden Cooper, G, LA Tech
Kamari Lands, G, MTSU
Jemel Jones, G, NM State
* – 2024-25 All-Conference USA selection
